As a generation, many of us are used to instant gratification. I mean there is literally an app for everything, we type random questions in Google day in and day out and get answers, and people in our lives are literally accessible to us every minute of the day. Remember when you left home and people could not reach you until you returned? What a world. But books, well, somehow they have maintained the beauty of the long game, and while AI may change some of the time it takes in the future, on this day, it is still a journey.

You would think that once you’ve written one book somehow it gets easier and I’m here to tell you, my friend, it does not. Spoiler alert. At least not for me. I mean, maybe you will have a different experience because we are not all the same. While I learned so much from writing Good Morning, Love, I have found that it didn’t necessarily set me up for an easy go at any of my subsequent projects. Each one has come together so differently than the first.

Let’s start with what I did learn. I learned about fully realized B characters and them having their own lives and trajectories outside of simply being props for the main character. I learned about a dynamic B storyline, making sure that there are different things happening alongside the main story. I learned to stop typing so many filler words including that, really, definitely. I became more conscious of how to begin sentences without a pronoun. This little string of sentences is not an example of that, by the way. I also learned how to leave a little to be desired at the end of each chapter to keep the reader turning pages, among a host of other great things I’m likely forgetting.

All of these lessons have helped me tremendously as I’ve moved onto new manuscripts and I believe my early drafts are lightyears better than what I sold to Simon & Schuster initially. What these lessons cannot help me with are the unique challenges of brand new stories.

How to write a sequel that can stand alone in the market, but also has the same consistency of the first book that people know and love. How to get into the mindset of a depressed, alcoholic whose glory days in the music industry are far behind him by writing journal entries. How to write out of order because you don’t have a fully formed storyline just yet, but you know some important beats in this left of center romance. Navigating a much busier work schedule than the one that afforded you the true time and patience to polish your words and maintain a great sense of consistency to get it done. These are the things that you simply have to take as they come.

I remember the instant gratification that came with writing 800-1200 word blog posts consistently. I thought it up, maybe wrote an outline, wrote it, revised a bit, and posted it. Out in the world to see with maybe a 1-2 day turnover. People would comment, I would post on social media, and people would respond, and boom, I was so accomplished as a novice writer who had the courage to start sharing my words on the internet. Writing books is nothing like that.

I started Good Morning, Love in 2017. Sold the book in 2020. It came out in 2022. The current work in progress that I am on submission for, I started in 2021. It is 2024. God willing, we sell it this year, and it will probably publish 1-2 years from now. This, my friend, is the long haul.

But now that I’ve convinced myself that writing is not going to be my “get out of the 9 to 5 free card,” I’m okay with the time it takes. I’m excited about drafting up a brand new story for the 1000 words of summer challenge that I KNOW will likely not be readable to anyone but me before at least a year of revision and editing on my own once I have a first draft. This is the process, and this is how I hope to write something amazing one day.

I was struck by this clip of Will Smith that’s been floating around the internet during his press run for the Bad Boys 4 movie. He talks about the true gap between being good and great. That most people think it’s a small step, when in reality, it can be insurmountable to make the jump. I’m in a “slow and steady wins the race” period, as I hope to be a great writer some day. I’m willing to work three years on something, if it means I’ll get the result. Does it mean that I don’t sometimes get a little antsy when I see authors like Tia Williams and Kennedy Ryan killing the game? No. But I’m smart enough to know, it didn’t happen overnight, but one book at a time.

This is the long game, you have to ask yourself, are you willing to play?

HuffPost is seeking a sharp, driven Legal/Justice Reporter to join our dynamic news team with a focus on the U.S. federal courts and the Justice Department. This is a full-time position, with a strong preference for candidates in the Washington, D.C. area and a second preference for the New York City area. Exceptional remote candidates will also be considered. ($80-95k).

The Rumpus is accepting submissions for book reviews and their essay reading period is open.

The Benjamin Saltman Poetry Award is accepting submissions. Established in 1998, in honor of the poet Benjamin Saltman (1927–1999), this award is for a previously unpublished original collection of poetry. The awarded collection is selected through an annual competition that is open to all poets. ($3k and book publication).

The Inscape Journal is accepting submissions for their Flash Summer 2024 contest. ($300 first prize.)

Here For All the Reasons: An Anthology edited by Ilana Masad and Stevie Seibert Desjarlais is accepting pitches. Looking for fans of The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and the Bachelor in Paradise. Email voicesofbachelornation@gmail.com with the subject line “PITCH: Here for All the Reasons” with text in the body of the email. All pitches due July 31st.